I just discovered it about a week or two ago, and I'm hooked.
My favorite character has to be Blair (the "cat girl" you mentioned), I always find it funny how she flirts with Soul, and how he always ends up nosebleeding.
The only complaints I've had about the series is that in the early episodes, Maka looked kind of odd, if you looked closely. Certain frames would make her face look slightly jagged, or something, I can't really describe it.
Other than that, I find the series great.